Fire Victim Donations

Sarah Donnelly assists at Lehigh Valleywide low-cost spay-neuter clinic several years ago at the Center for Animal Health and Welfare in Williams Township. It was organized by No Kill Lehigh Valley.

Sarah Donnelly assists at Lehigh Valleywide low-cost spay-neuter clinic several years ago at the Center for Animal Health and Welfare in Williams Township. It was organized by No Kill Lehigh Valley. (Betty Cauler)

Here's the latest on effort to help fire victim who lost eight animals

I've been getting emails and phone calls from people who want to donate clothing and household items to Sarah Donnelly, who lost her eight companion animals and all her belongings in a Lower Saucon house fire last week.

As I wrote in my column Sunday, Donnelly is medical director/vet tech at Peaceable Kingdom animal shelter in Whitehall Township, and she has worked tirelessly for many years to help animals. She was devastated to lose her own four cats, two dogs, foster puppy and chinchilla.

Her friend Stacey Orlouski organized a GoFundMe page for Donnelly, and the total was just short of $26,000 as I filed this, with 569 people contributing. It's been an amazing outpouring.

I contacted Orlouski Monday to see where people could bring furniture, clothes and other donations. Here was her response:

"I know that donations are being collected at the Belmont Inn and Peaceable Kingdom. She has an entire storage unit filled with donations, the response from people who want to help and donate has been wonderfully overwhelming! So at this point Sarah mostly will need gift cards and she has asked donations be made to Peaceable Kingdom or No-Kill Lehigh Valley in lieu of donations to her. Which is typical Sarah. In fact, I am 100% sure that she will not keep the entire fund that has been raised for her; she will try to donate it back. Thanks so much Bill for the beautifully written story, and please thank those who have shown interest in donating.

"Sincerely. Stacey."

Follow that GoFundMe link to make an online donation. If you have a check made out to Sarah Donnelly, you can send it to Peaceable Kingdom, P.O. Box 424, Whitehall, PA c/o treasurer Curt Adams.